This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-124493, filed Apr. 25, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal device for use in a mobile communication system in which, for example, the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) scheme is adopted.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a scheme for realizing a next generation portable telephone system, the W-CDWM (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) scheme and the cdma 2000 scheme are standardized and development is conducted on a various types of mobile telephone communication terminal devices used in this type of system.
For example, there is proposed that a connector attached with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal is provided on a mobile terminal device. When the USB interface is used as an external connection interface, the mobile communication terminal can be simply connected to a personal computer. Furthermore, an external device such as a BT (Bluetooth) unit, a memory card, a keyboard or the like can be simply connected to the mobile communication terminal. Then, it becomes possible to appropriately expand a function of the mobile communication terminal by transmitting control data such as a telephone book or the like from the personal computer to the terminal of the mobile telephone to register the data in package and selectively using various external devices in accordance with the need thereof.
However, in the case where a signal is transmitted between a plurality of devices by using the USB interface, it is necessary to provide a USB host function on at least one of the devices. Such USB host function has a large processing load. Consequently, it is general that such USB host function is provided on a device having a high processing capability such as a personal computer or the like while a USB slave function is provided on peripherals such as a keyboard, a mouse or the like and small size devices such as a mobile communication terminal. In such structure, when an attempt is made to connect an external device such as BT (Bluetooth) unit, a memory card, a keyboard or the like to the mobile communication terminal, connection using the USB function cannot be realized because both have only the USB slave function.
In order to settle this problem, the USB host function may be provided on the mobile communication terminal. However, in such a structure, it is necessary to provide a large capacity memory and a CPU having a high processing capability on the mobile communication terminal, so that an increase in the consumption power and an increase in cost of the mobile communication terminal are invited.
On the other hand, it is thought that other universal interface such as a serial interface or the like is provided instead of providing the USB host function on the mobile communication terminal. In such a structure, it becomes unnecessary to provide a large capacity memory and a CPU having a high processing capability on the mobile communication terminal. However, apart from the connector having the USB terminal, it is necessary to provide a connector for a serial data interface, which constitutes a large hindrance in an attempt to decrease the size of the mobile communication terminal.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication terminal device which allows a connection with an external device without providing a large capacity memory, a CPU having a high processing capability and a plurality of types of connectors, so that the consumption power is small, the cost is cheap and the reduction in size is small.
In order to attain the above object, a mobile communication terminal device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:
one external connector having a predetermined terminal arrangement structure;
a first external interface and a second external interface for sending and receiving a signal in accordance with mutually different protocols via the external connector between the mobile communication terminal device itself and the external connector;
a first determination function for determining a type of a third external interface incorporated in the external device connected to the external connector; and
an interface selection function.
Then, with this interface selection function, an external interface corresponding to the third external interface incorporated in the external device is selected out of the first and the second interfaces on the basis of the determination result of the first determination function.
Consequently, according to the first aspect, a type of the third interface incorporated in the external device is determined every time the external device is connected thereto. On the basis of the determination result, a corresponding interface is selected out of the first and the second interfaces prepared in advance. Thus, even when the external device has any type of external interface, the device can be connected to the terminal of the mobile communication terminal itself.
In order to effectively realize the mobile communication device according to the first aspect of the present invention, still another device is made in the present application.
A first structure is such that a part of a group of external connector terminals is shared with the first external interface and the second external interface. With such a structure, it becomes unnecessary to provide a connector for each of the first interface and the second interface, so that the number of the external connector terminals can be decreased. Thus, the size of the mobile communication terminal can be decreased.
A second structure is such that when a plurality of types (and/or kinds) of external devices are connected to the external connector in the case where voltages output from the specific terminals are set to mutually different values in the plurality of types of external devices which are assumed to be connected, the voltage values output from the specific terminals are detected via a terminal corresponding to the external connector so that the type of the third external interface incorporated in the external device is determined on the detection result. With such structure, it is possible to determine the type of the third interface on the basis of the voltage value so that the determination is relatively simple.
A third structure is such that when a plurality of types of external devices are connected to the external connector with the first determination means in the case where patterns of identification signals output from the specific terminals thereof are set to mutually different patterns in the plurality of external devices which are assumed to be connected, the identification signal pattern output from the specific terminals is detected via a terminal corresponding to the external connector, so that the type of the third external interface is determined on the basis of the detection result. With such a structure, the type of the external device can be determined even when the output voltage value of the external device is the same.
A fourth structure is intended to display the determination result by the first determination function. With such a structure, the terminal user can clearly know which external interface is used at the time of the connection of the external device.
On the other hand, the mobile communication terminal device according to a second aspect of the present invention further comprises second determination function and a connection control function in addition to the constituent elements of the first aspect of the present invention. Then, with the second determination function, authentication procedure is conducted with the external device via the first and the second interfaces selected with the interface selection function to determine the connection form of the external device with the terminal of the mobile communication terminal device itself on the basis of the result of authentication. Then, on the basis of this determination, the connection of the external device with its own terminal is controlled with the connection control function.
Specifically, the type and the specification of the external device are detected through exchange of a signal between the external device and the communication terminal device itself via the first external interface and the second external interface selected with the interface selection function to determine whether or not the external deice can be connected to the terminal of the mobile communication terminal device itself on the basis of this detection result.
Consequently, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is determined whether or not the external device can be connected to the terminal of the mobile communication terminal itself on the basis of, for example, the type and the specification of the external device. Consequently, in the case where the specifications or the like of the external device differ even when the external interface of the external device agrees with the mobile communication terminal device, the external device can be controlled so as not to be allowed to be connected so that highly reliable external device connection can be realized at all times.
In addition, the determination result by the second determination means may be displayed. With such a structure, the terminal user can confirm the connection form of the external device to his own terminal so that the terminal user can recognize that the external device cannot be connected, for example, when the external device cannot be actually connected.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.